If your laces are dingy, you could bleach them separately if they are white, put them into the washing machine, or consider purchasing new ones.

This applies to the base of your shoes, too, as the entire shoe will be submerged in bleach, not just the canvassed section. Try to use a standard fabric cleaner first before resorting to harsh chemicals like bleach. [2] X Expert Source Trent PotterShoe Care & Repair Specialist Expert Interview. 22 April 2021.

If you don’t have a plastic tub, you could also use a bucket or a large plastic bowl.

You do want the shoes to be completely submerged in the bleach-water mixture so they bleach evenly.

If you are simply looking to lighten a darkly colored pair of Converse shoes, try leaving them in the bleach for 2-3 hours and then check the progress to see if they’re light enough yet.

If you don’t have a scrub brush, you could use an old toothbrush. The bleach will have already done its work, so you won’t be undoing anything, but it’s important to rinse away the bleach residue so it doesn’t transfer onto other fabrics. Don’t forget to scrub the soles of the shoes as well as the canvas!

If you were simply re-whitening dingy, white Converse shoes, 1 round in the bleach tub should be enough.

Never put your Converse shoes into the dryer or in front of a heat source, as the heat will weaken the adhesive and change the canvas texture.

Removing the laces will also give you more space to work and will let you see the entire canvas clearly.

Work in a well-lit room if you can.

You could also use a pencil to lightly sketch a design directly onto your shoes so you have a pattern to follow.

Make sure to shake your bleach pen really well before using it! Here are some fun design ideas for your Converse: polka dots, stripes, different sized triangles and geometric shapes, a checkerboard pattern, stars, hearts, and flowers.

You could make certain dots in your polka dot pattern larger for a fun variation. Or you could emphasize a big star amidst multiple smaller stars.

Because you aren’t working with stringent, undiluted bleach, you don’t need to worry about wearing plastic gloves while rinsing the shoes.

Do not put your Converse shoes into the dryer or near any other direct heat sources because the heat can ruin the adhesive in the shoes.